Aircraft landing sail



Aug. 2, 1932 u .4. HEIN 1,870,116

AIRCRAFT LANDING SAIL Filed Feb. 10, 1932 E? fm/ Patented Aug. 2, 1932 Unirev airfares HERMANN HEIN,` OF BREMEN, GERMANY I Y AIRCRAFT LANDING SAIL Application filed February 10, 1932, Serial No. 592,123, and in Germany February 27, 1931.

the sail lying ,on the water. The length ofv the whole sail depends on the height of the 'i stern of the towing vessel, because the relatively small angle of incidence to the water surface necessary for satisfactory action of the sail must be maintained. In the case of ships with a high stern the rear end of the sail must be further from the ship than necessary with lower ships. For this reason it has not been possible hitherto to draw a sail when carrying an aircraft closer to the ship, because the steepness of the leading end of the sail would be increased and its carrying power thereby decreased. It was not possible therefore to haul the aircraft close to the stern of the ship so that it could be given attention immediately at hand, or be lifted by a crane.

rIhe object of the present invention is an arrangement by which the above mentioned disadvantage is overcome. In'addition to the usual. device serving to enable the landing sail to be hauled up on to and let down from the stern of the ship, auxiliary tension members are attached tothe sail in front ofthe part designed to receive the aircraft, which are guided or held relatively close to the water, running say parallel to its surface, and can be hauled in or paid out from the stern of the vessel. Y

This arrangement makes it possible to maintain the point of attachment of the hauling members to the sail always at the saine height above the water and thus to adjust and maintain the best angle of incidence of the said end; It is therefore also possible to draw the carrying end of the landing sail close in to the stern of the ship without changing the desirable angle of incidence. The vsail in this position has itsfull carryingcapacity,

and aircraft can therefore be raised by a crane on the stern of the vessel and placed on deck. Further, intercommunication with the aircraft while it is still on the sail is greatly facilitated as compared with the only position otherwise possible, of the aircraft at a considerable distance from the stern of the vessel. v

An example embodying the invention is il-y lustrated in the accompanying drawing; a is the landing sail towed by the shipb. At the point c which lies relatively closely above the water line, `auxiliary hauling members d are attachedV which7 running say parallel with the water surface, are led over guide rollers e mounted low down in the ships stern, and

led to the ships deck for hauling in or securing. v

Fig. l illustrates the caseof a ship of normal height, while in Figure 2 is shown how the landing sail is brought to the low angle of incidence necessary for good; carrying power by means of the described auxiliary hauling members, behind a disproportionate-V ly high stern.

t In Figure 3 is shown howv by the aid of the auxiliary hauling members, the carrying end cf the sail with the aircraft is hauled close in below the stern, the angle of incidence a still being ,maintained4 even in this case.

The result is obtained by the auxiliary hauling members lying so close above the water that the dimensions of the landing sail and its location with respect to the ship are in' no way dependent on the height of A the stern, but on the contrary one and the same type of sail can be used with vessels of the mest varying kinds. Further it is possible to:V draw the carrying part of the sail close in below the stern ofthe ship. In all o cases the essential feature of the arrange. ment is the possibility of adjusting the angle of incidence to the mostrs'uitable value.

I claim: Y

Tackle for towing aircraft landing sails behind ships,`in which in Vaddition to the usual'to'wing members leading to the deck of the ship, auxiliary towing members are attached in front c-f the part off the sailadapted to receive the aircraft, which auxiliary members are guided or attached tof-the Stern of the ship close above the water, running say parallel to the water surface.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.V 

